Selectively pivoted article lifter

ABSTRACT

A cigarette ejector for use with conventional cigarette packages has a specially shaped lever which is packaged with the cigarettes. One end of the lever engages the lower inner end of a cigarette and the other end of the lever is exposed through the upper opening of the package at the middle of the opening. As the lever is moved to either side one or more cigarettes is raised from the opposite side of the package for convenient access and removal. The device may be operated with one hand.

United States Paten 11 1 1111 3,878,968

Grinan v Apr. 22, 1975 SELECTIVELY. PIVOTED ARTICLE LIFTER 2.258.170 10/1941 Austin et al. 221/259 2.873.882 2/1959 Fouts 221/1 16 [76] Inventor: Prudencio M. Grinan, 116

Princeton St., East Boston, Mass.

02128 Primary E.\'aminer-Stanley IH. Tollberg Attorney, Agent. or Firm-Arthur Z. Bookstein; Wolf, [22] Flledz Nov. 27, 1973 G fi ld & Sacks [21] Appl. No.: 419,335

Related US. Application Data ABSTRACT Continuation-impart 0f 254,392 May A cigarette ejector for use with conventional cigarette 1972' abandoned packages has a specially shaped lever which is packaged with the cigarettes. One end of the lever engages Coll. ufifizszhlgz/gg the lower inner end of a cigahehe and the 0thelr end of a n t a Field of Search l l6, 1 17, p g at the f the p g As the lever i 221/2211 259; 229/11; 206/249 moved to either side one or more cigarettes is raised from the opposite side of the package for convenient access and removal. The dev'ce ma be 0 t d w'th [56] References Cited one hand I y pera e 1 UNITED STATES PATENTS 1.593.709 7/]926 Du v31 229/11 x 5 Clalms 6 Drawmg Figures msmtmmzz'lszs 3.878.968

FIG 2 FIG. 3 lawigill 20 FIG 4 PATENTEDAPRZZIQYS I 3.878.968 sum 2 :15 2

SELECTIVELY PIVOTED ARTICLE LIFTER BACKGROUND OF THE' INVENTION This application is a eontinuation-in-part of my copending application Ser. No. 254,392 filed May 18, 1972, now abandoned.

This invention relates to a device for selective re moval of one or more elongate articles packaged snugly and in parallel from the package such as removal of cigarettes from a conventional cigarette package. A number of devices have been proposed to assist removal of cigarettes from the package. These devices, however, have not been free from difficulty. Removal of cigarettes or like articles from a package still is relatively inconvenient, particularly when removing the first few cigarettes from the tightly packaged pack. In general, the prior proposed devices to facilitate removal of such articles have suggested the use of substantially different packages and blanks for making the packages. While some of these packages may make removal of the cigarettes from the package somewhat easier, they are somewhat complicated and often would require substantial modifications of existing packaging machinery and packaging techniques for their practice. It is among the primary objects of my invention to provide a device which assists in removal of such articles from their package, yet which is compatible with the accepted design for cigarette packages and the packaging machinery employed therewith.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In brief, my invention includes a flat main member which lies flat against a wall of the cigarette package between the wall and the cigarettes. The bottom of the flat main member spans the width of the package. The side edges of the main member are spaced from the side wall of the cigarette package to enable the main member to be pivotally moved from its central position about either of its lower corners toward either side of the cigarette package. The upper end of the main member is exposed through the opening of the cigarette package to enable such motion which may be effected by one hand. The device includes a lifting member integral with and located at the lower end of the main member. The lifting member lies flat against the bottom of the package between the bottom wall and underneath the lower end of the cigarettes and raises the cigarettes when the device is pivoted.

One embodiment of my invention includes a T- shaped lever which is placed in the cigarette package with its cross-piece at the bottom of the package. Each end of the cross-piece has a pad secured to it which underlies the lower end of the cigarette, or other packaged articles to be ejected. The upwardly extending end of the lever is exposed and can be moved to either side of the package which raises the pad on the other side of the package thus raising the upper end of the article upwardly out of the package.

It is among the primary objects of the invention to provide an improved device for ejecting, from a package, one or a few of elongate articles packaged closely together in parallel within the package.

Another object of the invention is to provide an ejection device suitable for use with cigarette packages which is capable of being packaged together with the cigarettes in existing cigarette package configurations,

and without requiring substantial modifications to existing packaging machinery and techniques.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an ejector device of the type described which is easy to fabricate and which is inexpensive.

Afurther object of the invention is to provide a cigarette ejecting device which may be operated with one hand.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a cigarette ejecting device in which cigarettes may be selectively ejected from either end of the cigarette package.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will be understood more fully from the following detailed description thereof, with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an illustration of a cigarette package, partly broken away, in which the ejector is employed;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevation of the ejector;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the ejector;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the ejector as seen from above;

FIG. 5 is an illustration of another embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 6 is an illustration of still another embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. 1 shows a cigarette package 10 as viewed from the front. The invention is shown as being used with a package of the box type, often referred to as a hard pack. The walls of the hard pack package are relatively rigid and are not as easily crushed as soft pack cigarette packages. Hard pack packages generally have a hinged cover 12 to enable the cigarettes to be exposed. Cigarettes 14 generally are packaged in parallel and are maintained tightly together within the package. This renders the removal of at least the first few cigarettes somewhat awkward.

In accordance with the invention, a member, such as the T-shaped lever 16 is packaged together with the cigarettes. The lever 16 is placed in the package either together with the cigarettes or before the cigarettes are inserted. The lever 16 is packaged in the inverted configuration shown so that its cross-bar portion 18 is disposed at the bottom of the package. In the type of package shown in FIG. I, the T-shaped lever 16 is at the forward facing side'of the package. The lever 16 includes an upwardly extending main member 20, the upper end of which extends beyond the opening 22 of the package. The upper end of the main member 20 may have a lip 24 to facilitate movement of the lever as described herein. Formed integrally with the outer end of the cross-bar 18 are pads 26 which extend along the bottom wall 28 of the package to underlie the lower end of one or more cigarettes. The lever 16 is dimensioned so that the cross-bar lies in the same plane as the main member 20 and substantially spans the width of the package so that the pads 26 will underly the cigarette or cigarettes at the lateral ends of the package. In this embodiment of the invention, as well as the other embodiments described herein, the side edges of the main upstanding member 20 are dimensioned so that they are spaced from the side walls of the package by an amount which will enable the main member 20 to be pivoted toward either side from its neutral center position.

FIG. 1 shows the lever in its initial position (in phantom) in which the main member 20 is vertical and parallel to the cigarettes and where the pads 26 both lie at the bottom wall of the package. After the cover 12 has been moved to expose the cigarettes and the upper end of the main member 20, the member may be urged, inflexibly, to either side, such as to the right as shown in FIG. 1 in solid lines. As shown in FIG. 1 this would cause the right end of the cross-bar 18 to act as a fulcrum thus raising the left end and its pad to raise one or more cigarettes 14A from the package. The cigarette then may be grasped easily and removed. Movement of the lever in the opposite direction (to the left of center) would have had the same results on the end most cigarette or cigarettes on the other side of the package.

The lever may be fabricated from any number of appropriate sheet materials such as plastic or the like capable of inexpensive mass fabrication. The lever material and thickness should be such as to enable the entire device to be pivoted as described herein without any flexure which might adversely affect its operation. The lever should be fabricated so that it is as thin as possible without sacrificing the rigidity necessary for it to perform its lever function.

FIG. shows another embodiment of the invention in which the shape of the main member is modified as shown at 30. In this embodiment, the main member 30 has upwardly and inwardly extending side edges 32 which terminate at an upwardly exposed portion 34 which may be manipulated by the user. As with the previously described embodiment, this embodiment can be operated by one hand. The side edges 32 lie at an angle which will enable the device to be pivoted about its fulcrums at either of its bottom corners to raise the cigarettes at the opposite end of the package. This device also includes a pair of lifting pads 36 at its opposite bottom ends. The lifting pads 36 are integral with and rigidly connected to the main member 30.

FIG. 6 shows a further embodiment of the invention similar to that shown in FIG. 5 except that a continuous bottom member 38 is provided in lieu of the spaced pads. With this embodiment of the invention not only the end most of the cigarettes is raised but the other cigarettes which rest on the platform 38 will be raised to progressively varying extents, depending on the location of the particular cigarette width-wise with respect to the platform 38.

The invention has been described as usable with a relatively stiff package a certain amount of stiffness in the bottom wall 28 is required in order for an end of the cross-bar to function as a fulcrum point. The invention, however, is not necessarily limited to the use with such packages, but may be employed with conventional soft-pack packages by providing a sheet of reinforcing material along the inside of the bottom wall 28 of the package.

It should be understood that the foregoing description of the invention is intended merely to be illustrative thereof and other modifications and embodiments may be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from its spirit.

Having thus described the invention, what I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a package of a plurality of elongate articles packaged closely together and in parallel, said package having means defining an opening to enable said articles to be selectively withdrawn along a direction paralleling their axes, an ejecting device comprising:

a flat main member having an upper end, a lower end and side edges extending upwardly from said lower end to said upper end, said main member being located between a wall of said package, said member lying between said Wall and said articles in the package, the upper end of said main member being exposed centrally through the opening of said package;

platform means secured to the lower end of said member and lying adjacent the bottom wall of said package and beneath the ends of at least some of said articles, said main member and platform means defining a rigid, inflexible unit, to enable said device to be pivoted bodily in a plane substantially between said wall and said articles and about an end of the lower end of said member as a fulcrum whereby the platform means at the other lower end of said member may be raised,

each of the side edges of said main member being spaced from the side walls of said package when said device is in a central position to enable said member to be pivoted selectively about either of its lower ends toward either of said side walls from its central position.

2. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said main member is of T-shaped configuration and includes an upstanding central main member and a crossbar secured to the lower end of said main member, said main member and crossbar lying in substantially the same plane, said platform means being secured to the bottom edge of said crossbar.

3. A device as defined in claim 1 further comprising:

said platform means including a pair of pads disposed at opposite ends of and at the bottom of said main member.

4. A device as defined in claim 1 further comprising:

means forming a tab at the upper end of ,said main member, said tab having a serrated edge to facilitate frictional gripping of the upper end of said main member.

5. A device as defined in claim 1 further comprising:

said main member and said platform means being symmetrically disposed with respect to a plane extending along the length of said device. 

1. In a package of a plurality of elongate articles packaged closely together and in parallel, said package having means defining an opening to enable said articles to be selectively withdrawn along a direction paralleling their axes, an ejecting device comprising: a flat main member having an upper end, a lower end and side edges extending upwardly from said lower end to said upper end, said main member being located between a wall of said package, said member lying between said wall and said articles in the package, the upper end of said main member being exposed centrally through the opening of said package; platform means secured to the lower end of said member and lying adjacent the bottom wall of said package and beneath the ends of at least some of said articles, said main member and platform means defining a rigid, inflexible unit, to enable said device to be pivoted bodily in a plane substantially between said wall and said articles and about an end of the lower end of said member as a fulcrum whereby the platform means at the other lower end of said member may be raised, each of the siDe edges of said main member being spaced from the side walls of said package when said device is in a central position to enable said member to be pivoted selectively about either of its lower ends toward either of said side walls from its central position.
 1. In a package of a plurality of elongate articles packaged closely together and in parallel, said package having means defining an opening to enable said articles to be selectively withdrawn along a direction paralleling their axes, an ejecting device comprising: a flat main member having an upper end, a lower end and side edges extending upwardly from said lower end to said upper end, said main member being located between a wall of said package, said member lying between said wall and said articles in the package, the upper end of said main member being exposed centrally through the opening of said package; platform means secured to the lower end of said member and lying adjacent the bottom wall of said package and beneath the ends of at least some of said articles, said main member and platform means defining a rigid, inflexible unit, to enable said device to be pivoted bodily in a plane substantially between said wall and said articles and about an end of the lower end of said member as a fulcrum whereby the platform means at the other lower end of said member may be raised, each of the siDe edges of said main member being spaced from the side walls of said package when said device is in a central position to enable said member to be pivoted selectively about either of its lower ends toward either of said side walls from its central position.
 2. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said main member is of T-shaped configuration and includes an upstanding central main member and a crossbar secured to the lower end of said main member, said main member and crossbar lying in substantially the same plane, said platform means being secured to the bottom edge of said crossbar.
 3. A device as defined in claim 1 further comprising: said platform means including a pair of pads disposed at opposite ends of and at the bottom of said main member.
 4. A device as defined in claim 1 further comprising: means forming a tab at the upper end of said main member, said tab having a serrated edge to facilitate frictional gripping of the upper end of said main member. 